Stan is from the village of Kitselas near Terrace, British Columbia. He enrolled in the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art in 1979 and followed that with an extensive apprenticeship with his uncle Dempsey Bob, who was also an early influence in his decision to become an artist. By 1987 Stan had a strong grounding in art and culture, having contributed to numerous commissions, educational projects and ceremonies under the guidance of Dempsey Bob, and he began to concentrate on his own pieces. He has received numerous commissions, often in collaboration with his cousin Ken McNeil, including a totem pole for the University of British Columbia First Nations House of Learning and a totem pole that represented Canada at Expo 92 in Seville, Spain (later raised at the Kitselas Cultural Centre). He has been included in many exhibitions defining the future directions of woodcarving.